Investigation of the effect of formwork shape on packing density of aggregates

Abstract

Packing density of aggregate influences greatly the properties of concrete. Maximization of packing density increases the flowing ability and segregation resistance of the fresh concrete and the compressive strength of the hardened concrete. The determination of maximum density is difficult experimentally; therefore several models have been developed for that purpose. However, these models do not take the size of the formwork into account. In this study, 20 different formwork shapes were examined with defined aggregate fractions. Results show that increasing the formwork size increases the packing density of aggregate, and the growth depends on the formwork size and compaction method.